Strength And Conditioning, Weightlifting
Squats Aren’t Just for Leg Strength
Squats Aren’t Just for Leg Strength
By Bob Takano
Why Full Squats Matter More Than You Think
Many people aren't aware of the benefits of full squats. Many newcomers and even some lifters who have been competing for a while don't really realize the benefits of full squats for improving anabolic metabolism and developing overall strength in the body.
Leg Strength and the Clean
Most lifters are just concerned with leg strength when it comes to dealing with recovering from the dead position in the clean, and certainly it's true. If you don't have enough leg strength, the recovery is going to be a real grinder. For a lot of people, that means they won't have as much leg strength to drive the jerk overhead.
The second area where people begin to realize the value of great leg strength is during the first pull. If you don't have strong enough legs, it's quite common to throw the work onto the hips, and so the hips will rise faster than the shoulders.
The third point to consider is whether or not you have enough leg drive to propel the bar overhead during the jerk drive.
What Squats Actually Build
Now, there's no question that squats are going to be tremendously helpful in developing the muscles that extend the knees and extend the hips. They're also very valuable in developing isometric strength in the torso musculature, which has to remain rigid during the execution of both a front squat and a back squat.
Squats, Muscle Mass, and Anabolic State
Now, it should come as no surprise that if you're going to go from the beginner stage up to even intermediate and finally into the advanced stage as a weightlifter, you're going to have to gain muscle mass. That's the only way you're going to be able to have enough strength to lift heavy weights overhead. To do that, you need to put your body into what we call an anabolic state, or more specifically, what we call positive nitrogen balance.
The amount of muscle mass in the body stimulated by back squats is second only to the amount of muscle that's stimulated during the performance of clean and jerks. Because of the stress on the joints, however, you can't do as many clean and jerks as you can squats during a training cycle. The amount of muscle mass that is stimulated is going to cause endocrine secretions, which are in turn going to stimulate the development of more lean muscle tissue. Of course, that's only going to work if you provide your body with enough complete proteins to build that muscle.
If you're one of those people who's fortunate enough where your back squat exceeds 1.31 times your maximum clean and jerk, it doesn't mean that you need to back off from performing squats. You still need to squat to develop the muscle mass you need to continue your progress as a weightlifter.
Once you get past the intermediate stage, it's still a good idea to squat every day that you train. That's like six days a week, and on some of those days, you can even squat two times per day.
Sample Squatting Regimen
Here’s a sample squatting regimen that can be performed during a preparation mesocycle to stimulate leg strength development and to push endocrine secretion to the limit.
|
Session |
Prescription |
|
Day 1 AM |
Back Squat: 60%/3, 70%/3, (80%/3)2, (85%/3)2 |
|
Day 1 PM |
Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, (80%/2)3 |
|
Day 2 AM |
Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, (80%/2)4 |
|
Day 3 AM |
Back Squat: 60%/4, 70%/4, (80%/4)3 |
|
Day 3 PM |
Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, (80%/2)2 |
|
Day 4 AM |
Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, (80%/2)2 |
|
Day 5 AM |
Front Squat: 60%/4, 70%/4, (80%/4)4 |
|
Day 5 AM |
Front Squat: 60%/3, 70%/3, (80%/2)2 |
|
Day 5 PM |
Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, (80%/2)2, (85%/2)2 |
You need to be well rested for this regimen as you will be performing snatches, cleans, jerks, power snatches, power cleans, and other supplementary movements as well. This might take place in the second week of a preparation mesocycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do squats only build leg strength for weightlifting?
No. While squats build the leg strength needed to recover from the dead position in the clean, drive the first pull, and power the jerk drive, they also stimulate significant overall muscle mass — second only to the clean and jerk — which supports the anabolic state (positive nitrogen balance) lifters need to gain size and strength.
Why does leg strength matter for the first pull?
Without strong enough legs, lifters tend to shift the work onto the hips, causing the hips to rise faster than the shoulders during the first pull.
How often should lifters squat once they're past the beginner stage?
Past the intermediate stage, it's still a good idea to squat every day you train — as often as six days a week, with some days including two squat sessions.
If my back squat is much stronger than my clean and jerk, should I stop squatting?
No. Even if your back squat exceeds 1.31 times your maximum clean and jerk, you should keep squatting to continue developing the muscle mass needed for ongoing progress as a weightlifter.
What does a sample squat-focused training day look like?
The sample preparation mesocycle regimen includes multiple back squat and front squat sessions across the week (some days with both AM and PM sessions), performed alongside snatches, cleans, jerks, power snatches, power cleans, and other supplementary movements — which is why adequate rest beforehand is essential.
